Only Human
by Sloshi
Summary: When Naruto challenges him to a drinking contest, it's only natural Sasuke doesn't refuse. However... the Uchiha has never been drunk before in his life. And when Sakura opens her door at nearly 3 AM, she certainly gets the surprise of a lifetime. Sasusaku. One-shot.


**A/N: **Okay so this was actually inspired by a Sasusaku fan art. I would link it but it doesn't let me :( you can find it on google if you type it in, it's the one where Sasuke is slung over her shoulders. (I went a different route). But anyway, Sasuke might seem OOC at first, but it's because he's DRUNK. If you've ever been wasted, you will understand xD I hope you enjoy this! I did my best to keep him in character AND sloshed :D

**Only Human**

-x-

It's said that the Uchiha have always been a slave to their emotions.

And, as it was this very night, the Uchiha in question is no exception to his ancient clan's unusual curse. It is only natural that Sasuke maintains his lineal blight; a crack in his mask of apathy. He cannot run from something ingrained in his DNA. Cannot expunge what is permanently imprinted upon his heart.

Even if Sasuke buries this truth behind layers of concrete denial...

In the end, he is only human.

And when his fourteenth shot glass hammers down on the sleek bar top, Sasuke gets a glimpse as to what that might actually mean when his thoughts run together in a blurred line and alcohol tries his rationality. Where the only organ left functioning spritely is his heart; where emotion has overridden any sensibility the Uchiha has once possessed.

Sasuke feels warmth. He feels it somersaulting and prancing around in his chest where he is usually dormant. He is not one to let his feelings run by unchecked—never has he been so vulnerable in his passing years as he is now, intoxicated beyond repair.

Yet he is here anyway, perched precariously upon a bar stool that the idiot has dragged him upon just hours earlier, swaying to and fro, feeling as light as a balloon.

It has only been a month since he has stepped back through the gates of his home village. But Naruto is already bringing him trouble. He had challenged him to a drinking contest and, despite that Sasuke has never actually been drunk before, he flatly refuses to let the idiot get the upper hand in _anything_. Even as grown men. _How hard could it be?_ He had thought arrogantly.

"You've... always been m'best friend... _loser_..." the Uchiha slurs. He slouches to lay his head down upon the cold wooden bar top for a fraction of a moment. Then, he decides he does not like that position and he sits back up, swaying. Sasuke picks up the empty shot glass in his fingers and twirls it in a circular, absent-minded motion, as if he is debating something important.

Naruto howls in laughter, wobbling just as unceremoniously as the raven haired man beside him. He claps Sasuke forcibly, with a little more push than Naruto probably intends in his drunken state, on the back. This causes the tiny glass in his fingers to drop back onto the bar top and shatter. "_Ha_! I never thought you to be the sentimental type, bastard!"

Sasuke isn't. But the alcohol distorts his brain and he has no idea what he is saying. The words that spill from his lips are not from his conscious, but from an unfamiliar place inside him. The things he has never been able to say out loud before are tumbling out of his lips without regard. He is making a fool of himself, but in this moment there are no thoughts of repercussion. There is no shame in his confession.

"Shut up," Sasuke bites back without conviction before he swivels a little to far to his right. Naruto snatches his newly attached left arm, catching his best friend from falling off his seat and onto the floor.

"_Whoa_—!" Naruto exclaims, a flash of sobriety flickering to life in cerulean eyes with his concern, "Maybe we should call it quits; you look like you've had enough."

Sasuke lashes his arm away from him and out of his grip at once. He sits back up straight, with great effort, and holds onto the bar top to steady himself. "Don't... touch me," he snaps, but the threat he wants to be there is lost in his slur. His words are sloppy; laughably meaningless. Mismatched eyes are half-lidded and clouded under sharp raven bangs. His cheeks are flushed red with intoxication. "—'mm not a light weight like... _you_."

The blond only lets out a cackle when Sasuke's attempt at a serious glare fails miserably.

"Who's gonna' clean this mess up?" A deep voice chastises and both Sasuke and Naruto look to the frowning bartender who stands with arms taut across his bulky chest behind the counter. He is referring to the shards of glass that glitter on the bar top.

Sasuke jabs a wobbling, accusing finger at the blond next to him, poking the side of his head. "_This_ idiot." He proclaims confidently, and then pushes the tip of his finger harder against the blonds skull, nearly tipping the Fox boy off his own seat.

Naruto swats his hand away and struggles to regain his balance. "_Hey_! What the... hell was that for! An' I didn't do that!" He defends boisterously, his own words stringing together incoherently before he hiccups.

The bartender only gives a disappointed shake of his head before sighing, as if this happens every night. He pulls a rag out from behind the counter and scrapes the slivers of glass off and into a garbage can hidden from sight before he attends to another customer.

"'Mm glad you're back," Naruto tells him genuinely when the bartender falls out of earshot, "...was getting lonely around here without someone's ass to kick."

Sasuke scoffs and tries to roll his eyes at this, but he ends up just making himself dizzy with the motion. He sets a firm elbow on the counter, sliding his head into in his palm lazily as the blond prattles on.

"But you know who _really_ missed you?" Naruto entertains with a mischievous waggle of his eyebrows. But Sasuke doesn't, and he gives a heavy shake of his head in his palm, raven tresses swinging back and forth with the motion.

He leans in incrementally, a sly smirk on his lips, and drops his voice to a whisper as if he were about to reveal a dangerous secret, "_Sakura_-chan,"

Sasuke blinks heavily. The mention of his pink-haired teammate brings forth a flashback and the last memory he has of her plays in his mind.

_His index and middle finger tap the purple diamond seal between her pink eyebrows where Itachi has done so many times to his own before. _

_Her jade eyes glitter with surprise—and something else he cannot name—when she looks up into his own._

_"__Maybe next time." He promises._

"_Sssakura_." He echoes, the name slurring off his tongue_, _as if he's testing out the syllables for the first time_. _But he says nothing more on the matter.

Naruto nods his head eagerly, "She missed you _soooo_ much." he explains, shifting to casually mirror Sasuke's position as he leans into his own palm, "She _neverrrr_ shuts up about you, believe it!" Naruto straightens back up and snaps his fingers rudely at the bartender, earning him a death glare from the man who is mixing a drink on the other end of the bar. "Another round of shots over here, please! The strongest you got!"

"Hn..." Sasuke grunts, but also sits up; he does not refuse when the next round of alcohol is set before him and throws it back with ease. It burns his throat, and he almost gags, but he holds it down in front of Naruto.

The blond wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and lets out an obnoxious sigh of satisfaction when they slam the empty shot glasses down upon the bar top at the same time. Their challenge has been long forgotten.

"_Ssspeaking_ of Sakura-Chan..." Naruto continues dramatically, and turns to his best friend with curious drunken orbs. "Have you been to see her yet?" He finishes with a hiccup.

He hasn't, but guilt that was not there before strikes him now. "No..." he replies with a terse shake of his head.

Cloudy blue eyes blink in confusion. "_Eh_?! Why not?"

Sasuke tries to think about that. When he first arrived back in Konoha, there had been a bountiful to-do-list laid before him. First, he had to meet with Kakashi; who seemed delighted in his return, but nevertheless gave him a serious rundown of the all things he had to catch up on in his year of absence.

There had been mountains of paperwork to fill out in order to keep the Uchiha compound from being repossessed, and it had taken days to clean the cobwebs and dirt that had settled inside every nook and cranny of his abandoned home. He restocked his fridge, did piles of forgotten laundry, changed the linens of every bed in the house, and sorted through all of his old belongings.

He met with Tsunade who, after much convincing, patched him up with a new arm despite his protests. That alone had taken weeks of boring hospitalization and overwhelming medical information. He finds himself surprised that Sakura hadn't sought him out _herself_, then. He would be lying if he said he hadn't expected her to waltz in the very hospital room he had stayed in; but she never did.

In short, Sasuke had been kept 'busy' all month. Tonight is his first night free of any _real_ task and he figured it wouldn't hurt to join Naruto in his usual shenanigans. He had simply grown bored with his everyday mundane chores. Nothing more.

"Busy..." Sasuke provides what he believes is the truth, but Naruto only takes it as an empty excuse.

"So you're tellin' _me_," he says as if he's personally offended, "you didn't... have even a _second_ of free time to drop by Sakura-Chan's apartment?"

Another shake of Sasuke's head.

"_Liar_!" Naruto's fist hammers down on the counter, causing the whole bar top to tremble and Sasuke to startle.

Strangers turn curious faces to his outburst and Sasuke's red face is no longer related to intoxication alone. "Keep it down, _idiot_!" He seethes through clenched teeth. "Or you'll get us both thrown out!"

Naruto crosses his arms with an indignant huff, followed by a hiccup. "I'd like to see them try! Only a dumbass would try and throw out the next Hokage!"

A burly shadow falls over the two drunk friends. "_What was that_?" The bartender offers a second chance, eyes sparking with challenge.

Naruto blinks, sweat-dropping, and waves his hands defensively, "N-N-Nothing! Nothing at all, sir!"

A smug grunt is the only response they receive before he walks away. Naruto exhales loudly in relief, but stiffens in shock when Sasuke lets out quick, silent huffs of _laughter_.

"_Oi_! What's so funny?!" Naruto demands, giving the raven-haired man a pointed shove, but he catches his arm before Sasuke can tip over again. However, the drunk Uchiha does not seem to be bothered by the action this time, as he is bizarrely preoccupied.

The last shot they had taken settles in and tips him to the point of no return, and Sasuke's head is anywhere but on earth. It is the final push he needs to be free of any last remaining shred of coherence. He is a stranger Naruto has never seen.

"_You—_!" Sasuke clutches at his chest, struggling to contain his drunken, uncharacteristic bout of silent laughter, "You're a... you're a... and you're afraid of... of..."

Naruto doesn't quite understand what his friend is saying, nor does he find what is so funny, but he is too shocked by Sasuke's strange giggle-fit to say anything at all. It's super weird, and all he can do is gape at the sight.

And then Naruto is laughing, too—but at Sasuke. It's funny to see his stone-cold friend unwound and seemingly at ease; Even if Sasuke's lopsided smirk isn't quite an actual smile. It's not a common sight, and Naruto does not pass up the opportunity to watch it unfold.

But when Sasuke catches his breath and his body dangerously teeters left to right; Naruto realizes his friend is clearly way in over his head. His mismatched eyes are all over the place, completely disoriented and unrecognizable. Naruto tries to take pride in the fact that Sasuke can't hold his alcohol, but it quickly turns to worry when the Uchiha tries speaking and nothing he says makes sense. It's jumbled noises and broken sentences. It disturbs him greatly.

"Okay..." Naruto says hesitantly and a little uncomfortably, instantly sobering up at the sight of his plastered friend, "I think it's time to get you home..."

Sasuke snorts in disapproval, waving a dismissive hand and blurts: "'mm _fine_, loser... just getting started..."

"Say, Sasuke..." the blond begins uneasily as he stands and pulls out his wallet to pay for their many drinks, "Have you... ever been drunk before?"

"I am'_not_ drunk," Sasuke scoffs, drawling out his words matter-of-factly, but Naruto knows he is lying and the Uchiha crosses his arms on the bar top, laying his spiked raven head on them. "'Mm just a little tired..." his body jolts with a quiet hiccup.

_Oh, man_. Naruto thinks nervously as he observes his near comatose friend. _There's no way he can take care of himself right now_.

The blond places a heap of money on the counter before he leans down to try and haul Sasuke's arm up and over his shoulder. The Uchiha mutters a string of protests, but doesn't seem to be able to physically fight back. Naruto tries to adjust his friend comfortably against him when they stand, but Sasuke is instantly a dead-weight and Naruto almost topples over.

"Jesus Christ! Just how much do you weigh?!"

"Wha'... are you doing..." Sasuke mumbles, head lolling to the side when Naruto just about drops him. But the blond finally finds his balance and adjusts Sasuke's arm slung over his shoulder.

"I'm taking you home." Naruto tells him sternly as if he's talking to a child, taking slow, careful steps toward the exit. Sasuke's feet practically drag along the wooden floor.

When they stumble outside, Naruto hopes the cool air will help shake Sasuke's wits, but it does nothing of the sort. His raven head lolls to the side with every wobbling step they take together.

"S..."

Naruto pauses and looks to his friend who is struggling to lift his head.

"What?" He leans in, straining to hear.

"S... Sa..." he slurs, and Naruto blinks. "Ssakura."

"Sakura-Chan?" He echoes in bewilderment. "What about her?"

"'mm... go... house..."

"You want me to take you to Sakura-Chan's house?" He splutters incredulously.

Sasuke nods precariously, but Naruto does not move. "I don't think that's a good idea, Sasuke."

The Uchiha makes a strained noise, followed by a hiccup. "..._now_."

_Dammit_... Naruto curses inwardly. _Sakura-Chan will kill me if I bring Sasuke to her like this... _He bites his lip and shutters just thinking about it. _But I can't really drop him off home alone... And Hinata-chan might be uncomfortable if I bring him back to the apartment..._ He remembers then that Sakura is a medic; she would know exactly how to take care of him. Naruto considers the Uchiha hanging upon his shoulder and sighs in defeat.

"If that's what you really want..."

There is a slight movement from Sasuke, and he knows it's a nod.

_Here goes nothing..._

-—-

The first thing Sakura is aware of when she is jolted from a deep sleep are the blazing red numbers of her alarm clock that reads **2:47 AM**, and the desperate pounding of her front door downstairs.

She is on her feet immediately; there is an emergency. Someone is hurt or dying—she is prepared to be on call at all times. She curses when she throws open her bedroom door, not bothering to throw a jacket on over her white spaghetti-strapped tank top, and takes three steps at a time down the stairs until she jumps off and clambers to her front door, ready to answer the medic who stands in wait just outside.

Sakura nearly chokes in relief when the door flys open and reveals two of her closest friends side by side on her porch. But there is something terribly wrong; her relief is shattered when she notices that something with Sasuke is not right. His unconscious body hangs limply off Naruto's side.

"Sasuke-kun!" She nearly screams in horror, assuming the worst immediately. He is dying, or he is already dead. Every second that ticks by is a chance she loses to save him. She reaches out to him instantly, but is taken aback when the blond grins sheepishly and she second guesses herself.

"_Surprise_!" Naruto says half-heartedly. "I brought you a present."

Sakura sputters in disbelief and looks as if she has been slapped. "What the—what the _hell_? Is Sasuke-kun okay? Is he hurt?"

"Oh, he's _fine_." Naruto assures despite that he looks _anything_ but. He adjusts Sasuke on his shoulders when he groans quietly, "Remind me to never go out drinking with him again. Can you believe _Sasuke_ of all people can't handle his liquor, I mean—"

But Sakura is already taking the Uchiha out of his arms. They switch him over awkwardly and Sasuke almost falls onto his face before Sakura catches him. His sudden weight startles her and she squeaks when he nearly pulls her to the ground with him. She quickly taps into her chakra and holds him steady. Their difference in height makes it a little difficult to adjust, but she is successful when she finally decides to turn around and hoist Sasuke high upon her back. When her hands hook under his knees and his hands hang limp over her shoulders, piggybacked, she unleashes her fury upon the blond.

"Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?!" She screeches in a whisper as to not wake the man on her back, and his sudden warm sigh against her ear makes her shudder, and then she scrunches her nose when the smell of hard liquor hits her nostrils. "You _idiot_! What the hell is wrong with you!"

Naruto scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "S-Sorry, Sakura-Chan... but the bastard asked to come here."

She freezes in her next insult to blink. "You—_what_?"

"He asked me to take him to your house, so I did."

Sakura is silent for a moment as she considers the weight of this. Sasuke... wanted to come to _her_ house? But why? It's a bizarre idea to accept, especially since he hadn't even bothered to see her in the entire month he's been home. And now he just wants to be _dumped_ at her doorstep? _This better not be a joke! Or someone's gonna pay! CHA_!

When Sasuke mumbles quietly in her ear, she stiffens. She has no idea how to handle this; she has yet to even process what is happening. But the minute Naruto steps off her porch and leaves them alone, Sakura panics. Sasuke is drunk and sitting on her back like a giant sleeping child.

Slowly, as not to wake him, she creeps back into the house, shutting the door as quietly as possible with her foot. It clicks loudly and she flinches, but Sasuke only grumbles incoherently in her ear. A sigh of relief escapes her. His body jumps with silent hiccups. But now she is faced with another trying task: to lay him down without the risk of waking him.

That is, if he's even sleeping. He seems to be, but the way he keeps slurring things in her ear tells her he's just disoriented and teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. She knows he needs water. Carefully, she makes her way into the living room where she turns around and tries to lower the sleeping giant onto the cushions, but the position is awkward and she falls straight into his lap.

She feels him startle beneath her, jolted awake by the unexpected weight on his thighs and she squeaks in surprise, jumping to her feet and twirling around to face what she assumes will be wrath.

But he blinks up at her groggily, as if he's not quite sure she's there or not.

"..._Sakura_?" He slurs softly, the confusion saturating his deep voice.

"Y-Yup," she laughs nervously, wringing her hands, "it's just me."

_Way to go, idiot!_ Inner Sakura screeches at herself_. Get a grip!_

_"_Wha'... what are you... doing here?"

She blinks before supplying uneasily, "You're... you're in my house."

It's then that it seems to hit him where he is, because he sits up straighter and a little alarmed. "But... Naruto—?"

"—dropped you off here."

However, he doesn't seem to understand, or comprehend the absurdity of the situation because he relaxes his shoulders and simply replies, "_Aa_..."

As if it were perfectly fine he was sitting under her roof and _wasted_ in her living room...

There is an awkward silence on Sakura's part, and she fidgets where she stands. Perhaps he really _is_ that drunk? She wonders what his blood alcohol level is, and she knows it must be high.

"I—I'll go get you some water..."

Before he has a chance to reply, she skitters into the kitchen and throws open the cupboard, grabbing the first glass she sees and runs it under the tap. The cup trembles in her hand as it fills to the brim, and she can't help but dread what Sasuke will do when he wakes up tomorrow and finds out he has slept in her house. She hasn't spoken to him in over a year; she hasn't _seen_ him in over a year. And now he's just—he's just suddenly going to casually crash on her _couch_?_! Unbelievable! Oops!—_She turns off the tap when she realizes the cup is over flowing.

She pivots around and screams, the glass plunging to the tiled floor and exploding into a million pieces when a large, wobbly looming figure stands directly behind her in the door way.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" She breathes in horror. "You scared the _hell_—" she chokes on her words when he advances toward her. She quickly gains her bearings when she realizes where he's about to step. "Wait—Sasuke-kun, there's glass everywhere!"

She herself is barefoot, and she tries to step over the mess to stop him but yelps when she feels a shard puncture her heel.

"_Ouch_!" She hobbles over to him, trying to shove him out of the kitchen and back into the other room, but it's as if she's pushing against a brick wall. "Sasuke-kun! _Please_—you need to lie down and—!"

She freezes when a large hand is pressed on top of her head. She blinks before she looks up and meets half-lidded mismatched eyes. Her heart hammers like a drum within her chest and suddenly she cannot breathe.

"I—" he starts, but his eyebrows furrow in what she assumes is pained confusion, "I do not... feel so well."

"That's because you're _drunk_!" She snaps, and she can feel blood seeping from her barefoot and onto the cold floor. "Now, _go lay down_!" She demands as if she's talking to an ornery dog rather than a grown man. He stares blankly down at her, wholly unaffected by her reprimand. Anger bubbles dangerously within her. _What, has he suddenly become deaf, too?!_

Just when she thought he wasn't going to acknowledge her at all, he nods once, and then turns to stumble back down the hallway to the living room—a hand following along the wall no doubt trying to keep himself upright. Sakura's chest heaves with apprehension and _something else_, but she doesn't allow herself to linger on the feeling. She has a mess to clean up, a foot to heal, and a drunken man she loves, to take care of.

A heavy, frustrated sigh escapes her lips as she turns around to clean up the broken glass and huge puddle of water, but a distinct '_thump!_' has her bristling in place. Without a second thought, she scrambles—hopping on her injured foot—towards the living room only to find Sasuke flat on his face in the middle of it, clearly unsuccessful in making his way to the couch.

"_Ugh_! Sasuke-kun!" She is pulling at her pink stresses. "What the hell did you even drink!"

There is a muffled sound and Sakura realizes with baffled amusement that he has actually responded to her, face down in the carpet. She makes her way over to his side, ignoring the shooting pain in her heel, and kneels next to him, gently pressing a hand to the Uchiha crest on his back.

"Sasuke-kun..." she murmurs sadly, crest-fallen at his terrible state.

_Naruto's gonna pay for this! _Inner Sakura erupts in flames, cracking her knuckles, _For both making Sasuke miserable and ruining our reunion!_

This was not how she expected her first meeting with him would go at all! She sighs and shakes her head in disappointment; it can't be helped. Her hand slides up from between his shoulder blades into his silky raven hair where she slowly caresses his scalp. She is surprised when he lets out a quiet grunt, and she's not sure if it's because of her hand in his hair or because she's said his name.

"You can't stay here on the floor." She whispers, fingers still gently playing in his inky tresses. "We have to get you on the couch."

He doesn't move and Sakura understands with great resentment that she must drag him there herself. She musters up all of her courage and leans over him, tapping into her super human strength as she hauls him upright by the arm and slings it over her shoulder. She carefully guides him to the couch where she is finally able to lay him down. She kneels in front of him and the Uchiha turns his head marginally towards her, mismatched orbs barely open and blinking heavily.

Sakura hesitantly reaches to his face, laying a gentle hand on his flushed cheek before lightly brushing away the bangs that make it hard to see his eyes. "Are you okay?" She asks quietly, though her gentle voice is amplified in the heavy silence.

He doesn't nod, or reply. He just stares.

...

And stares.

...

And _stares_.

The only sound in the air is their unsteady breathing, and Sakura thinks she might go crazy if he doesn't stop _looking_ at her like that.

She gets up to stand and leave, "I—I'll go get you a pillow and blank—"

She turns to move, only to freeze when a firm hand snatches her wrist—as swift as a striking cobra. Electric spiders shoot up her arm at his touch, and the air punches from her lungs. Slowly, as if she's afraid of what she might find when she does, she turns to look over her shoulder and down at him. His expression is unreadable; blank as a canvas. There is nothing to indicate what he is thinking, and she is left baffled by his bold and confusing gesture.

"Sasuke... kun?" She breathes in astonishment, unsure jade eyes flickering to his unyielding hold on her wrist. "What are you d—?"

"_You_—" he interjects abruptly, and then stops as if he's hesitating. "Why... haven't you... " he struggles here, but finds the words he's so desperately looking for when he finally chokes, "...come to see me?"

Sakura's world stops. As if someone pesky has stolen the remote and presses pause at the most crucial part of a scene. Everything is at a standstill. Even Inner Sakura is shocked into silence. She is sure her eyes are wide and her jaw has slackened, but she cannot get her body to respond.

Did _Sasuke_... just... just ask her...

"_Sakura_?" He slurs uneasily, and its here that her world resumes and she starts to breathe again. She has to remind herself that Sasuke is not coherent. That he has no idea what he's saying—or if he'll even _remember_ tonight at all. It would take hours before he was even sober again. She can see the fog in his questioning eyes. He is still highly intoxicated; drunk.

Yet, despite all of this, the gravity of his inquiry hits her like a brick.

Because, in order to ask something like that drunk, he had to be _thinking it soberly in the first place._

So... What did _that_ mean? Was he bothered by her absence? Was he hurt by it? Had... had he been _waiting_ for her all this time? Sakura always assumed Sasuke would come see her when he saw it fit; assumed that his schedule would only allow for _him_ to decide when to take action. Assumed that, perhaps, in the end, he just didn't want to see her after all.

But he is here, wondering why _she_ had not come to see _him_.

And she is speechless.

"I—" The words die on her lips. She finds there is nothing she can say, because now she's internally asking herself the same question.

Why _hasn't_ she gone to see him?

Sasuke has been the man she loved her whole life. And yet, even after his long awaited return, she never made a move to put herself in his path. Sakura genuinely believed that he had his hands tied; that important tasks had to be dealt with first and foremost, and that when he was finished he would be on her doorstep, ready to talk. She had not wanted to be in his way. Did not want to bother him in his homecoming adjustment. She had been patient. She wanted _him_ to come to _her_, just this once.

And oh, how the fates have granted her wish in the most _unfortunate_ fashion.

"I don't know." She squeaks nervously, and cannot meet his half-lidded eyes.

After a tense silence, the magnetic pull of his gaze draws her reluctantly back to his face; jade eyes finally dare to meet mismatched ones, and she thinks his eyebrows furrow marginally in hurt, but when she blinks it's gone.

"I... see."

His hand drops from her wrist and it's as if she's lost her anchor—she floats to the surface where she finally draws a breath she has not realized she has been holding. The feeling is strange now that his warmth is gone, and leaves something like the ghost of a burn where his slender fingers held tight. This time, he does not stop her when she walks away.

Hobbling up the stairs, she reaches into the hallway closet and gathers a heap of bedding in her arms. She hopes it's enough to keep him comfortable, but there is no telling if he'll even fall asleep. With her luck, he'll be causing her trouble until the break of dawn.

Hopping carefully with her injured foot back down the stairs, she stiffens the moment she re-enters the living room and Sasuke is sitting upright.

A weak smile is all she can muster. "S-Sasuke-kun, you should lay down."

He doesn't, of course, and she sighs. She drapes the soft blanket over his shoulders like a cape, pulling it snuggly around his chest and sets the pillow down behind him, waiting for him to speak—or do anything to show he's acknowledged her.

But he doesn't do that, either.

His gaze is unfocused; unseeing over her shoulder back toward the hallway. It's as if he's in a trance, spellbound. His body sways slightly, a testament to the many drinks he has consumed. And when his lips finally part, she is genuinely startled by the choked plea that falls from his lips, shattering the heavy silence.

"_Why_?"

It's a single word, but it bleeds with a wound far beyond what her eyes can see. Her chest tightens at the sound. She knows exactly what he's asking, and when he finally meets her gaze, prickling tears blur her vision. Mismatched eyes are pained, as if he's been betrayed by something unspoken or an action left undone. Sakura understands now with frightening clarity that she has hurt him in some, small way. The ice buries itself in her gut, twisting and clawing at her insides with bitter regret. She has genuinely _hurt_ Sasuke. The idea surprises as much as it confuses her.

"Sasuke-kun..." she whispers, but her voice is broken. Her throat is dry, and she swallows the bitterness in her mouth thickly. The hot tears are threatening to spill. She is coming undone in front of him. But nothing could have prepared her for what happens next.

"_...!_" His eyes widen abruptly when the Uchiha clamps a firm hand over his mouth.

And Sakura knows _exactly_ what's about to happen.

_Oh, know you don't!_ Inner Sakura shrieks with a shake of her fist.

Instinctively, she summons her super-strength, scoops the grown man into her arms in—you guessed it: _bridal style, _and screams: "_Shan-naro_!" As she heaves him with all of her might into her arms. She bolts across the hallway and gallops up the stairs as fast as her feet can take her.

The second she crashes into the tiny bathroom, she stumbles forward and loses her footing in her haste. Sasuke is thrown from her arms and his spiked raven head smacks the hard tile the same time her pink head hits his broad chest.

"_Umph_!"

However, there is no time to worry or express her apology because she is instantly—_roughly_—thrown backwards and onto her back when Sasuke shoves her off so hard that for a terrifying moment, she thinks he is going to attack her. But to her surprise, he clambers desperately across the floor to the pristine toilet basin where he retches violently.

_Oh_.

Sakura winces at the sound, but not from disgust. As a medic, she has grown desensitized to bodily fluids and it takes way more than measly vomit to turn her insides. She winces at his misery; his entire body shakes with each gag. There is an overwhelming urge to comfort him, so she carefully crawls over to his hunched form and places a gentle hand between his shoulder blades where she rubs small, soothing circles upon his back.

"It'll be okay, Sasuke-kun," she coos softly, "I'm so sorry." And it's not just this particular situation she's sorry for. "What were you thinking, drinking so much? It's not like you to be so... so... _irresponsible_..." Sasuke isn't exactly the first person who comes to mind with that word, and she cannot believe she's even saying it. It strikes her with disbelief: she's reprimanding _Sasuke Uchiha_. Scolding him, like a disobedient child.

For the first time in her life, she is angry with him. Her hand drops from his back and she has to curl it into a fist to keep from smacking him over the head. As if it's _Naruto_ sitting in front of her rather than the almighty Uchiha prodigy.

The Uchiha in question gives a final retch, spits, and then lifts his head when his hands fall away from the basin and he sits back on his palms, chest heaving. His tortured expression tugs at her heart and Sakura sighs, replacing her hand on his back and resumes the circular motion she hopes is comforting.

"Feel better?" After freeing his stomach of all that alcohol, she's sure he does. However, it looks as if sobriety isn't coming to him anytime soon. In short, Sasuke is still _wasted_.

"..." he pants, mismatched eyes half-lidded and heavy with exhaustion.

"Here..." she stands up to close the toilet lid and flushes the contents before she makes her way to the bathroom sink, where she opens the mirrored medicine cabinet. "I don't have an extra toothbrush or anything, but..." She plucks the oblong see-through bottle off the shelf, swishing the light blue liquid around. "This should help."

She kneels next to him on the tile and offers him the mouthwash, only to _choke_ when he takes it from her hands and throws it back like it's a water bottle, gulping the contents.

"What the—Sasuke-kun, _no_!" She screeches in horror, ripping the bottle from his hands and spilling the blue liquid all over the place. "This is _mouthwash_! Not—not a _drink_!"

Sasuke is genuinely startled but it doesn't seem to register what he's just done. He blinks at her innocently.

_Has he lost his mind?!_

"You—!" Her lips flounder in shock, torn between disbelief and awe at what he has just done and the clueless expression on his face that is _maddeningly_ adorable. She shakes her head, "J-Just... never mind."

She takes his hand to try and help him to his feet—he snatches it away from her, "'mm _fine_." He grumbles, but he is far from it. "...I don't... need... your help."

Sakura's hands are stern on her hips. "Like hell you do!" She reaches out to reclaim his hand but he pulls it away. Anger roars to life; the medic inside her is on his case instantly, "Don't you _dare_ catch an attitude with me when you're the one who did this to yourself in the first place! You're a mess! But I'm not just going to sit here while you puke your guts out and fall all over the place! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself just because you're stubborn! So shut up, and let me help you!"

"...no."

Her eye twitches.

She reaches for him a final time, but when he promptly smacks her hand away, something inside of her snaps.

She bristles and her hands ball into angry fists. _Oh, hell no!_ Inner Sakura shrieks. "Fine." She bites out, "If you're so confident that you don't need my help, prove it. Stand up." And she herself gets to her feet, crossing her arms. He glares up at her, and when he doesn't move, she taunts: "Well, go on then. Stand up."

Slowly, carefully, he places both hands on the toilet lid and tries to heave his body upward unsteadily. It's almost too embarrassing to watch. When he is finally on both feet—albeit swaying dangerously—he smirks triumphantly down at her. He teeters back and forth, and Sakura knows he's going to lose his balance at any given moment and she _almost_ hopes he will: _Maybe he'll learn his lesson! CHA!_

He wobbles backwards and forwards, and then it finally happens.

"_...!_" Mismatched eyes widen when he tips a little too far backwards. Sakura reaches out a hand, but before she can do anything to stop it, Sasuke grabs onto it desperately and she's pulled down with him. They both topple backwards into the bathtub behind him—the pink shower curtain, along with the metal rod, comes raining down upon them and swallows their tangled form. Sasuke's arms move instinctively; they are tight and protective around her, as if the sound of the falling plastic around them had scared him into thinking something far _worse_ was falling on them.

Sakura's heart thunders mercilessly, and with her ear pressed tightly against his chest, she can hear his heart pounding in sync with her own.

It is deathly silent. Sasuke's warm, minty breath puffs heavily against the top of her head and she is too terrified to move. The air punches from her lungs when his arms instinctively clench around her in response to a loud clatter that shatters the silence and echos in the claustrophobic space. _A shampoo bottle_, she realizes but barely registers. The only thing she can comprehend is the thundering of Sasuke's heart beneath her ear. It's racing, and something screams at her that it isn't from anxiety alone.

It's here that she dares to look up at him, and when she does it's clear that he is shaken. His wide mismatched eyes meet hers in pure horror. And if that wasn't enough to sober him up, the fact that she was on top of him, encircled in his arms, awkwardly straddling his hips, inches from his face, _probably_ was.

She swallows thickly.

"Are... are you okay?" The tips of their noses are millimeters from touching.

"...yes." His hot breath fans her lips.

Everything about this small moment is amplified. He is beautiful, and she is reminded that it has been a year since she's last seen him. His one obsidian eye is flecked grey, no longer flat black in her close proximity. His lashes are full and a smidgen longer than they once were. Longer, sharp, raven bangs fall over his still-widened eyes, stopping just short the tip of his aristocratic nose. She inhales, and he smells of mint and a touch of alcohol, but his natural scent is there. He smells of sandalwood; the burning of a campfire on a late summers evening. She is reminded of how much she had missed him.

She is reminded of how much she loves him.

Sasuke stares back at her silently. She can tell by the look in his eyes that he is still not quite sober, but is the closest he will get to it until he sleeps it off. His lips part, as if to say something, but they close and he says nothing at all.

"I'm sorry." She breathes, breaking the heavy silence, and she feels him startle lightly at her sudden words. "I shouldn't have egged you on like that. It's just—all I wanted to do was help you, and you made me so mad and—"

"Sakura."

"—I should have come to see you. I didn't even know you _wanted_ to see me, I had no idea; honest! I mean, I missed you so much and asked about you and how you were doing—"

"Sakura."

"—and it sounded like you had a lot on your plate and I didn't want to annoy you or—or—_bother_ you in any way because I figured if you wanted to see me, you would just come find me and—"

"_Sakura_."

She blinks, pausing in her nervous ramble to finally pay him attention. His mismatched eyes are soft around the edges, contradicting the snap of his voice.

"I..." he swallows, as if his next words are hard to say. And then he rips it off like a bandaid. "...missed... you, too."

Everything Sakura had left to say vanishes out the window. Just like that, her mind is blank. She blinks—once, twice, thrice. Had she heard him correctly? "W-what?"

"...You heard me the first time."

"I—" She has no idea what to say. But then she is left confused. "Then... how come _you_ didn't come to see _me_?"

He promptly looks away from her, turning his face toward the bathtub nozzle. He is silent, and Sakura doesn't expect him to respond, but when he does, she gapes in disbelief.

"I waited."

_Huh_? Inner Sakura works quickly to figure out what he means by this, but she comes up empty-handed and is left bewildered.

"For... for _what_?" She asks, mentally ripping her hair out in suspense. _Just get on with it already! For what! "_Sasuke-kun!_"_ When he doesn't answer, she shimmies out of his arms and playfully smacks his chest. "Answer me!"

He narrows his eyes at her, clearly not appreciative of the gesture, but turns his head back to her in response.

"Out of curiosity." He supplies plainly, but Sakura knows that's not the real answer. She frowns at his stubborn ego.

"Out of... _curiosity_? That's it?" She tries not to let the lie get to her, but the tears are already prickling in her eyes. Perhaps... she was wrong and it was not a lie after all. "So, my feelings are just... _entertainment_ for you?"

His eyes widen marginally at her accusation, the realization of what he has just unintentionally implied hitting him like a slap to the face, but before he has the chance to fix his mistake, she is climbing off of him and steps out of the bathtub.

"_Sakura_—" he reaches out a desperate hand to stop her, but she's already heading towards the door.

"Save it." She pauses in the doorway, but doesn't look back at him. "I'll call Naruto to get you home safely. The next time you decide to get hammered, make sure you end up at the right place. I hope this was entertainment enough for you." And then she is gone.

_'__I hope this was entertainment enough for you.'_

He blinks in astonishment. The alcohol still swims through his veins, but the only thing he can feel is the talons of regret clawing at his insides. He has no idea how it all went sideways so fast. Her words are venom, and they sting far more than he expects. He struggles to climb out of the bathtub and untangle himself from the shower curtain, but the room spins and the curtain wraps around his ankle the second he tries to stand and he falls forward. The ache in the back of his head from his earlier fall pulses. He feels sick again, but there is nothing left for his stomach to expel. The bathroom tile is cold and sobering against his cheek; he closes his eyes and wills to stop the world from spinning around him. But it doesn't. It's as if he is prisoner to a merry-go-round and his punisher will show him no such mercy.

_Stop_. He pleads silently. And there, helpless and abandoned on Sakura's bathroom floor, he decides he will never touch alcohol again. He has made a fool of himself. And, as snippets of the night's earlier events flicker unbidden behind his eyelids, he _cringes_ in mortification. He remembers falling flat on his face in the living room, and her slender fingers in his hair.

_'__You can't stay here on the floor.'_

He remembers Sakura carrying him on her back _and_ up the stairs when he had just about threw up everywhere. He remembers her gentle hand on his back, her soft words. He remembers latching onto her wrist and asking why she hadn't come to see him. He remembers the broken look in her tearful emerald eyes.

_'__I don't know.'_

_'__I... see.'_

And when he opens his eyes, they immediately take note of the tiny red smudges upon the white tile that lead to the doorway. Blood. And then he remembers the explosion of shattered glass.

_'__Wait—Sasuke-kun, there's glass everywhere!_'

Her pained expression, her genuine concern that he would step on the shards and in turn hurt herself instead. Why? Why did he ask the idiot to bring him to her house? More importantly, _why_ did the idiot _listen_ when he was clearly in no state of mind to be making decisions!

Sakura had probably been peacefully sleeping in bed before Naruto dumped him at her doorstep. Before he made a mess of her night. Before he placed such an unnecessary, heavy burden on her shoulders.

Embarrassment. Shame. _Guilt_.

All at once. Sasuke Uchiha wishes the floor would swallow him up. But it doesn't, and the gravity of reality holds him to the floor. He has to fix it. Sakura's last words ring in his ears, deafening him. And then his own.

_'__Out of curiosity.'_

He scoffs at himself. Just what the hell made him say _that_? Sure he had been curious—way more curious than he'd ever admit to himself—as to when and _if_ she would come to see him, but it was definitely _not_ out of amusement. Sasuke doesn't play with people's feelings. And he sure as _hell_ isn't getting a kick out of _Sakura's_. No. He waited because... _because_...

He blinks, unable to finish the thought. _Because_...? It's here that Sasuke is confused. He doesn't realize that he has waited—subconsciously _avoided_ her—all this time because he is scared of facing Sakura after everything he's done. His pride would never allow such a thought. Sasuke Uchiha isn't _scared_ of anything. But in the end, he is only human. He had been scared that over time, she would change her mind, and that she would not forgive him. Scared that she would look at him with the same disdainful eyes everyone else did. He was a traitor; a criminal. He has held her bare throat in his hands and has tried to run a Chidori straight through the very heart that loved him.

Scared, because he knows he does not deserve to be forgiven.

And scared, because she knows this, too.

Instead, Sasuke settles on believing he has waited because it isn't his business what she does. Or who she decides to see. Or _whatever_ she decides to do in her free time. He doesn't _care_ that she hasn't come to see him. Just... a little surprised. But when she had rambled in his arms only minutes ago, saying she had missed him, that she had asked about his absence, that she had truly just respected his space, relief overwhelmed him. He had released an internal breath he never knew he was holding. It flooded his chest with warmth. Filled him to the brim with reassurance. _Of course_ Sakura still loves him.

He clenches his teeth. _Now_ look what he's done! He's ruined any chance of a normal reunion, and he hates himself for it. The room spins continuously, but this time Sasuke is determined not to let the alcohol win. He clambers to his feet, using the wall next to him for support, and takes a minute to steady himself. Okay. One step at a time. Carefully, he places one foot in front of the other, creeping across the bathroom as if he's crossing a cliff's ledge over great heights. He has to make it to Sakura before she can call Naruto. He has to make things right. He is dizzy, he stumbles, his eyes fall in and out of focus, but he does not stop.

When he reaches the doorway, he clings to the doorframe and leans out, looking left and right. Where had she gone? He stops and listens carefully. Just barely, he can make out the sound of tinkering glass, and he knows she's in the kitchen cleaning the mess that is his fault. He frowns. Not because he has found her, but because she is _downstairs_. As in, he will have to make it down a flight of perilous steps without breaking his neck. However, his determination does not waver and he steps out into the hall.

Gripping the wooden railing, he braces himself. The steps are steep, and as he looks down at them, it's as if the bottom is miles away. One foot. Another. He steps down painfully slow, and the step creaks under his weight. He stops and listens for any sign that would indicate that she's heard him, but the shuffling of glass and a wrinkle of a trash bag eases his nerves. Good. He wants to prove to her that he is not a burden. That even drunk, he is perfectly capable of handling himself. Another step. As his confidence grows, he lets go of the railing. Perhaps, if he just showed her his effort in making it down to her, she'd see that her feelings for him were far more than just _entertainment_. Perhaps, if he—

His foot misses the next step.

"_F_—!" Is the only sound he can manage before he is tumbling painfully down her steps.

When he lands, it's hard and damning. His face slams into the floorboard with a sickening crunch and he knows he has surely broken his nose. The air is still with a finality that has him closing his eyes in defeat. And when he hears her hurried footfalls careening down the hallway's wooden floorboards and ever closer, he wants to disappear forever.

"Sasuke-kun!" She is screaming, half out of her mind with worry.

But it's the last sound that rings in his ears before he slips unconscious.

—-

Sakura nearly goes into cardiac arrest when she discovers the Uchiha still as stone at the stairs landing. Her heart hammers like a war-drum in her ears, and she doesn't know what to check first. She collapses to her knees next to him and takes note of the slight expansion of his rib cage—but just because he is breathing doesn't mean something else isn't broken. He is on his front, and so she carefully flips him over; only to squeak in fright at the crimson liquid that trickles from his nose.

"What the hell were you thinking, idiot!" She cries despite not being heard. "You could have snapped your neck! I can't bring back the _dead_!" Her chest tightens at the very idea and any reason she has justified to herself abandoning him in the bathroom, melts into regret. She should have never let him out of her sight. He had seemed like he was almost _sober_ when she left him last!

_Well, you were clearly wrong_! Inner Sakura berates angrily_. Now look what you did!_

Tears_ s_pill over the palm that covers her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun!"

After a thorough check of the unconscious Uchiha, she heals his broken nose and sprained wrist. He is lucky. She hauls him into her arms and carries him to the living room couch where she lays his head on the pillow and pulls the blanket to his chin.

He looks adorable, but she can't stop the tears from rolling down her face to appreciate his sleeping expression. She kneels at his side and lays her head upon his chest. It rises and falls slowly.

"You... _jerk_." She mumbles as she turns to face him. He remains undisturbed, peaceful in his drunken slumber. "I..."

Little does Sakura know, Sasuke has been conscious since the moment she had picked him up off the floor. The movement had stirred him awake, but he did not _dare_ open his eyes to face her. He pretends to sleep, holding on to every word she breathes.

"I wish you had just come to see me; even once. But _no_. You just had to make it a big deal. You're a such a drama queen."

Sasuke has to physically hold back a quiet snort of laughter. His breath hitches, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"But... You've always hated me, haven't you?" He has to refrain from frowning. "You say you miss me, but do you really? Naruto says you never ask about me. The 'next time' that you promised me before you left never came. Was that a lie, too?" Sasuke wants to shake his head, but remains deadly still. "Are you a liar, Sasuke-kun?" She sighs and he feels the warmth on his chest. "You never seem to want me around. You say I'm annoying, but what does that even mean? Why are you really here tonight? You hurt me over... and over."

Sasuke is uncomfortable. He now feels as if he is intruding on something he most _definitely_ should not be hearing. But he can't back out now. He can't find the will to stop her, and he realizes with horror that he _wants_ to know _more_. She shifts.

"And yet..." the weight disappears off of his chest. And when she speaks next, the proximity of her voice nearly startles him. Her warm breath is on his face, as if she's merely inches away. His heart picks up the pace and he doesn't know whether it's from fear or anticipation. But nothing could have prepared him for what she says next:

"I'm so in love with you."

His heart drops. As if he is free falling. The shock that shoots through his body at her words is both exhilarating and terrifying; his eyes snap open. He sits straight up, nearly head butting her, and instantly, she screams and falls backward onto her elbows, where she scrambles farther away. "S-Sasuke-kun! I—I thought—!"

"Sakura."

She looks at him as if he's the most terrifying thing she's ever seen. He wants to smirk at her reaction, but the weight of her words sit heavy on his heart and he can do nothing but stare.

"Is that true."

Her lips flounder and she looks as if she has seen a ghost. When the shock finally fades from her face, he sees that her cheeks are stained pink. Her lips lift in a wide, almost cheeky, grin and it fills him with bliss. She scoots closer until she's kneeling beside him once more. Her expression is shy, and her eyes are everywhere but his face. His heart thunders mercilessly.

"Sakura?"

She isn't looking at him. "Yes."

"Yes _what_?"

Her eyes meet his.

_"__I love you, Sasuke-kun_."

"_...!_" His eyes widen. Sakura's confession is bold, but its spoken with such conviction that his mind double takes. As if it goes without question. As if there was never a doubt in the first place. It was firm. _Real_.

She really loves him. Even after everything he's done. Even after the trouble he's put her through tonight. Even after he's broken her heart so many times.

"I—" he is winded. His chest heaves with an unknown emotion and he is unprepared. He is scared.

Scared, because his heart won't stop pounding.

Scared, because he realizes with frightening clarity that he just might love her, too.

Any last lingering effect from the alcohol is gone. He is stone-cold sober.

The world behind her fades away, and there is nothing left but her glittering eyes. She is startlingly beautiful in this moment. She leans in slowly, carefully. He knows what she's going to do, but he can't move. His heart thuds in his ears. Her face inches ever closer, and a sheen of moisture sits pretty on her lower lip. He can't take his eyes off it. And just when he leans down to close the gap—

_Bam_! _Bam_! _Bam_!

They freeze in place, eyes wide, their lips a mere whisper apart. A _very_ familiar voice shouts from outside the house.

"Sakura-Chan! Sakura-Chan!" Naruto's fist slams upon her front door and it echos in the silence of her house. "Hinata-chan said it was probably a bad idea to leave the bastard here! Bring him out, I'll take him back home! Sakura-Chan! Saku—!"

She rips the door open, bristling with anger, flames in her eyes, and Naruto immediately shrinks in fear. "H-Hey! W-What's—?"

She promptly smacks him over the head. "Beat it, _idiot_! Sasuke-kun is sleeping and if you wake him, there will be hell to pay!" Inner Sakura is already pushing up her sleeves.

Naruto throws his hands up defensively and immediately backs down and off her porch. "L-Loud and clear, Sakura-chan!" And then he scurries off down the road and disappears. She breathes a sigh of relief, but the second she closes the door behind her, she squeaks when she is pressed back against the wooden slab.

"_Sleeping_, huh?" Sasuke smirks, and Sakura bites her lip nervously. He presses a hand against the door just next to her ear, and cocks his head marginally to the side in amusement. "...Are you a liar, Sakura?" He mimics her earlier words.

This seems to snap her from her trance, because she's defensive immediately. "_Hey_! You weren't even supposed to—"

He dips his head down to meet her lips—

Only for him to change direction in the last second, falling past her head, meeting the wooden door slab face to face as a dizzy spell claims his conscious. He groans before collapsing to her shoulder and falls sideways and onto the floorboards with a '_thud_!' before she can react.

"Sasuke-kun!" She squeaks, kneeling at his side immediately. "Are you okay!"

She shakes his shoulders insistently, but when a light snore drifts to her ears she freezes, and then deflates with disappointment. Sasuke is fast asleep.

_You've got to be kidding! Just when he... he was just about to... _Inner Sakura cradles her knees to her chest, mourning the loss of her first kiss with the Uchiha.

She sighs heavily, hauling Sasuke into her arms for the last time and lays him gently on the couch, hovering just above his peaceful face. She studies him, lingering on his just slightly parted lips. His cheeks are still flushed, so Sakura slides a palm under his raven bangs to feel his forehead. No fever, she confirms with relief. The alcohol must have finally got to him. She starts to pull her hand away, but her fingers trail down to his high cheek bone where they sit hesitantly. Sasuke had _really_ been about to kiss her.

She melts into a wide smile at the thought. Leaning in, she brings her other palm to his face, cradling his sleeping attractive features. Slowly, carefully, she presses soft lips against his.

Sakura wants to laugh at the absurdity of the entire night; at the great Uchiha falling on his face, tumbling down the steps, falling into a tub, drinking _mouthwash_... but she can't help but only love him more. Because, as it seems, the Uchiha is not always the perfect prodigy; his mask slips every once in a while, just like everyone else. Sasuke Uchiha makes silly mistakes, just like everyone else. Sasuke Uchiha can be reckless, just like everyone else.

And, as Sakura inches back from his lips to admire his undisturbed expression, she realizes with a giggle that Sasuke Uchiha is, after all, only human.

**FIN**.


End file.
